


Final Fantasy: A Hitman Reborn

by VaellintheBard



Category: Final Fantasy XIV, Katekyou Hitman Reborn!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, Gokudera is Thancred, Lore Abiding, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Reborn is Hydaelyn, Retelling, This fit too well, Tsuna is the Warrior of Light, as much as is possible at least
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-20
Updated: 2020-05-20
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:41:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,742
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24294517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VaellintheBard/pseuds/VaellintheBard
Summary: A re-telling of A Realm Reborn with Katekyo Hitman Reborn! characters thrown in. Not required to have read/watched/played both, but recommended.Tsunayoshi is the warrior of light, according to his dream. But in real life, Tsuna is barely scraping by after the Calamity that hit Eorzea. If this is the hero meant to save the realm, then they’re probably doomed.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 3





	Final Fantasy: A Hitman Reborn

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by a scene during the Varia arc where Tsuna gets a flashback to an incident he had no reason seeing (in other words, he has the freaking echo) and I just kept rolling from there. For those who have only seen KHR, I'll try to explain things as I go along without ruining the flow. For those who've only played FF14, just expect a bit more quirky characters and some lore changes (I'm trying to keep it as small as possible).
> 
> Let me know what you think! This is going to be probably my weirdest story, but I do have it mapped out all the way to the end of the ARR and it fits far, far too well.
> 
> (A LOT more characters will show up from both series, with the Vongola Guardians and Y'shtola being my primary focuses)

“Wake up, ciao-ssu,” a small, child-like voice called into the darkness. As if summoned by his call, the world burst into light, leaving Tsuna floating in the night sky, drifting down towards a glowing platform with a giant crystal in the center. The voice came from the crystal, of that Tsuna was certain. “The world needs you, Tsuna.”

Another burst of light, this one less blinding but still brilliant, and a shadowed figure appeared between Tsuna and the crystal. The red mask on the figure glowed, a dark purple symbol in front face, before it launched a ball of shadow at the young man. Tsuna tossed his hands up in front of his face, screaming in fear as darkness surrounded him. The last thing he heard was “We need you, Warrior of Light” before waking up, still screaming.

Bolting upright in his seat, Tsuna struggled against his surroundings momentarily, trying to return from the dream that now mixed with reality. It wasn’t until he felt himself falling and his head striking the wood floor that Tsuna felt completely back. Of course, it now came with a headache and his stomach felt nauseous.

“Whoa, kid, you okay there?”

Tsuna groaned as he faced the speaker, an older hyur, and pushed himself back up. He was used to the pain. Hitting his head was pretty common, unfortunately. The nausea, however, had him curling up into a ball, holding his stomach. Why was he so woozy?

“Motion Sickness?” the same gentleman questioned. Right, he was in a carriage heading towards Ul’dah. The vehicle was one strapped to a couple of chocobos—large birds known for their power and favored as mounts across the land—and _floated_ instead of rocked along the dirt path, giving a general swaying feeling to the whole trip. “You did struggle to go to sleep last night. I have something that could help, but it would wreak havoc on your stomach if you didn’t eat first.”

What kind of medicine for nausea only worked after eating? That seemed counterproductive, but it was Tsuna’s luck that the only medicine was something as awful as that. Tsuna waved it off with a ‘no thank you’, crawling back towards the bench just in time for an arrow to fly overhead and smack into the seat opposite him, which was thankfully empty. The two elezens who sat beside the arrow, though, stared almost scornfully at it. They were young, obviously twins, and most importantly they knew they were superior to Tsunayoshi.

“We need you, Warrior of Light,” the weird voice in his dreams told him. Tsuna shook his head; that was ridiculous. Barely a trainee in any fighting style, Tsuna hadn’t been needed by anyone in many years.

The grizzled hyur who spoke to him when he awoke pulled his head back in the cart, having bravely stuck it out to talk to the carriage drivers. “It’s an Amal’jaa attack, but the Brass Blades are on it. Man, these attacks are getting worse and worse. I wonder if the beastmen are planning something.” Hopefully not, as the last thing the city states needed was more disaster. They were barely managing after the catastrophe of five years ago, especially with the large influx of refugees, Tsuna included.

The Calamity. Five years prior, the three City-States of Eorzea—Ul’dah, Limsa Lominsa, and Gridania—were at war with the totalitarian Garlean Empire. And five years ago, it all came to the end with one climactic and cataclysmic event—the summoning of Bahamut. Though the damage was so severe that memories themselves had been damaged, the world was slowly recovering. Tsuna himself didn’t know what happened during those times, and his memories were vague prior to it. Even now, Tsuna felt as though the last five years were a haze of wandering from place to place, slowly recovering.

“You don’t think another war is coming to Ul’dah, do you?” Tsuna asked nervously. He hunched down further, his brown hair practically the only thing visible to the other occupants of the carriage.

“Ul’dah’s always at war,” the man replied, letting out a weary sigh. “But mostly it’s internal. Keep your head down and stay out of alleys and you’ll be mostly safe.”

That didn’t sound safe. “Maybe I should’ve gone to Gridania instead,” Tsuna muttered. A nice forested city with lush greens and the songs of the elementals pulsing through it.

“I don’t know if you’d be safer there. Sure, Ul’dah’s got to deal with the lizard folk and a power struggle, but Gridania has poachers, Ixali, and Sylphs to contend with. Limsa Lominsa isn’t much better either.”

“Pirates and Sahagun,” confirmed the younger hyur from his protective position. He’d just left Limsa Lominsa last year, during a major conflict between the fish folk and the former pirates that made up the governing body of the island nation. What he did afterwards was fuzzy, but he knew he was heading towards Ul’dah for a reason.

“There probably won’t be any more attacks this close to the city. It’s a wonder we were even attacked where we are at all, but the brass blades’ patrols increase around here, for better or worse. Relax a bit, we’ll be fine.” As if to present an example, the larger hyur leaned back and stretched a bit, sticking his head out from under the canvas of their transportation. Slowly, Tsunayoshi followed his example, though not nearly as relaxed. The wind passing by the chocobo drawn carriage and the brilliant blue sky did help and his nerves eased up just a touch.

He was here to make another fresh start. Bumbling about over the past few years hadn’t been the worst thing ever, as he worked odd jobs to get by and harvested from the surrounding areas. Many people had been overwhelmingly welcoming to him, but it never felt like home. Or more accurately, it always felt like something was both pulling Tsuna elsewhere and chasing him away at the same time. Danger lurked around every corner, and opportunity waited just ahead. Not that Tsuna was that good to be able to take advantage of any opportunity.

“Warrior of Light, Ciao-ssu.” Tsuna closed his eyes, trying to grasp at that voice in his head. What did it mean?

“You should probably check in with Momodi when you get to Ul’dah.” The man beside Tsuna snapped him out of his thoughts. Tsuna smiled weakly at him, a question in his eyes. “She’s the owner of the Adventurer’s Guild and a great person to talk with to start a life in Ul’dah. Tell her Brendt sent you; that’s me. She’ll give you a meal and send you on the right way.”

“As an adventurer?”

“If you so wish.” Brendt shrugged, the movement awkward in his bent back position. “At the very least, it’s a place to start, kid.”

“Tsuna.” The younger hyur flushed slightly at the introduction, worried a bit it was unwanted or unwarranted. However, Brendt just grinned brightly at him in response.

“Tsuna. I’ll remember that. I look forward to hearing about your adventures, Tsuna.”

But hadn’t he just said Tsuna didn’t have to be an adventurer? Glancing back at the sky as if it held the answers, Tsuna nodded mutely. Because, really, what else could he do? Hopefully more than just pick up spare change for someone or make a grocery run. Maybe he’d really do something impressive, for once.

Or maybe he’d screw it all up. Again.

*

Momodi, the short lalafell proprietress of the Quicksand, was indeed incredibly helpful. She provided Tsuna with food, sent him off with a map to meet with people who could help him further, and invited him to come back whenever he wished. The marketplace in Ul’dah was booming with life, in a good and bad sense. On more than one occasion, Tsuna saw a thief pickpocket another person and drift back into the alleyway before anyone else noticed. Alerting the victims got Tsuna in more trouble, with him being accused of being the thief himself, but his pitiful pockets after a shake-and-beatdown proved otherwise.

No thieves went for him. Not just because his gil was minimal, but also because Tsuna _did_ notice them. It wasn’t a super useful gift, but the ability to spot a pickpocket as they went for his pouch usually frightened off most would-be burglars. The ones who wouldn’t startle had bigger prey to hunt, too.

So, after one too many attempts to help someone and a full journey through the Sapphire Avenue Exchange that was Ul’dah’s marketplace, Tsuna found himself at the entrance to the Pugilist Guild. At Momodi’s recommendation, he agreed to meet with the leader of the guild, hoping to improve his fighting ability in the battle-weary city. 

“EXTREME!” bellowed a man inside. Tsuna recoiled, feeling the pressure of the voice even from the threshold of the guild. “WE NEED TO TAKE IT TO THE EXTREME!” 

Stepping cautiously to peer inside, the nervous boy sought out the source of the yelling. A man with short white hair was standing on top of stairs, practically glowing with energy. An aura of fire seemed to engulf him as he shouted commands at the people below him who were tiredly punching wooden dummies. “YOU NEED TO PUT YOUR WHOLE BODY INTO IT!” the man bellowed. “LIKE THIS!” He turned to another dummy, this one newer looking and reinforced with metal. He punched the vaguely human-shaped target; the entire thing _exploded_ remnants scattering about and mostly into the wall beyond it. A few students ducked for cover. “NOW TRY AGAIN! I KNOW YOU CAN DO THIS!”

_Oh Twelve,_ Tsuna thought, inching his head away. _I can’t do this. There’s no way I can punch a dummy into nothing. Oh no, oh no._

“YOU! YOU MUST BE THE NEW STUDENT MOMODI TOLD ME ABOUT!” the white haired man called out, eyes locked onto Tsuna. “ARE YOU READY TO BE A PUGILIST?”

Why was this man yelling so much? “N-no! No, I think I have the wrong place. I’m just going to—”

“NONSENSE! YOU CAN’T GET STRONGER IF YOU DON’T TRY GETTING STRONGER. WELCOME TO THE PUGILIST GUILD!”

Meekly, an attendant passed a paper over to him, the sympathy in her eyes expressing all he needed to know. It was easier just to agree than to try and fight his forced recruitment. With tears in his eyes, Tsuna signed the paper.

“PERFECT! WELCOME… TSUNAYOSHI!” The man was right next to Tsuna, still yelling as he grabbed the paper and read his name. Ignoring Tsuna’s quiet “just Tsuna’s fine” the man barreled forward, about as unstoppable vocally as an avalanche would be, rolling down a mountain. “TSUNAYOSHI! YOU HAVE YOUR FIRST TASK! GO OUT THE GATES AND PUNCH A BOULDER!” He paused for a moment and one of the attendants interrupted him, clearly taking pity on the smaller hyur.

“Master Ryohei, perhaps a punching a boulder isn’t the right start for such a new recruit?” she noted, cat ears flicking back nervously, hoping his booming voice wouldn’t be directed at her.

“YOU’RE RIGHT! TSUNAYOSHI! YOUR TASK IS TO GO PUNCH _THREE_ BOULDERS INTO SUBMISSION! AND WHEN YOU’RE DONE WITH THAT, KICK TWO MORE! I EXPECT THE RUBBLE FROM YOUR VICTIMS BROUGHT IN AS TROPHIES!”

“Punch a boulder into submission?” Tsuna parroted incredulously.

“GOOD! YOU UNDERSTAND!”

Oh, he most certainly did not. 

“GET TO IT!”

Ryohei spun sharply away and back to his students who quickly stood up from their relaxed positions and continued their training under the enthusiastic leader. No longer the subject of scrutiny, Tsuna pulled back, scratching the back of his head. Maybe he could just find some broken rocks outside and bring them back? After all, there was no way he’d make a rock crumble with just his fists, or his feet even. His worn-down gloves would barely protect him too. Lying wasn’t ideal, but there wasn’t much else he could do. Except run away.

Either way, his journey took him out of the gates of Ul’dah and into the wilds of Thanalan. Being a dry area, Thanalan skirted the line between comforting plains and scorching desert, sometimes outright abandoning the lines and hopping in one direction or the other. The closer one got to the distant land of Ala Mhigo, the drier it seemed to become, but here patches of grass flourished among the rocks and streams of the canyon. Similarly, the wildlife was between the desert creatures of the Sagolii desert—such as the appropriately named Cactaur—and the grassland creatures like the Nixes—large toads with a belly big enough to stick a chocobo in it, and absolutely the source of many of Tsuna’s nightmares. This close to the city, the monsters were mostly passive as they hunted the sparse foliage for bits of food.

Traveling the foot path, Tsuna decided he needed to get further away so that no guard witnessed his deception. They probably didn’t care, but that meant a loose tongue could spill the secret inadvertently to Ryohei. However, as he approached a fork in the path, apprehension took over. What if Ryohei wasn’t serious about him destroying a rock? Or what if he came back and Ryohei expected great things from him? If Tsuna failed or was caught in the lie, would he become a victim of that _punch_. Images of a dummy dressed like Tsuna, with worn gloves and a brown wig, flashed in his head as it was pulverized by a bandaged wrapped fist.

Maybe this was a bad idea.

Scratch that, this was a _terrible_ idea. 

Tsuna should just go back, explain to Ryohei that there’s no way he can just punch rocks into nothingness and that he has to politely decline the acceptance into the pugilist guild. He’d find something else to do, or go back to doing chores. Maybe Momodi needed a busboy, or apothecary mentioned he needed—

A loud crashing noise startled Tsuna once more out of his contemplation. Wide brown eyes darted around the area. He’d mindlessly traveled to the bottom of one of the cliffs, having zigzagged along a footpath that led to a small stream and smaller ruin. Nearby, a lalafel with bright pink hair was stumbling back, clearly frightened. And Tsuna didn’t blame her as a monster five times her size or more loomed over her, entirely made of clay with glowing red eyes.

Fear washed over Tsuna, drenching his soul, making his hands sweat and knees shake in way that Ryohei’s oppressive aura couldn’t. Each step made the earth shake around it, the pebbles bouncing in fear as well and the water quivering. It’s target was clearly the lalafel before it, but Tsuna was probably next. Tsuna struggled to swallow around a lump in his throat.

This was a bad idea. This was a _terrible_. But Tsuna wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he didn’t at least try.

*

“Thal’s Balls!” Gokudera skidded to a stop at the top of the cliff, gun in hand as he spotted the missing sultana. “What is that brat doing?”

The search for Nanamo Ul Namo, Sultana of Ul’dah, had started only an hour prior, and while the Sultansworn scoured the cityscape, Gokudera figured he’d lend a hand by scouting outside. Of course, he only located her at the sound of screaming, from a source distinctly not the sultana. Instead, it came from a hyur, likely an adventurer caught at the wrong place and wrong time. The scout watched in horror as the hyur charged the clay golem, yelling in determination, only to be swatted back as easily as a fly. The golem continued its pursuit towards the woman on the ground, and the brat below charged once more, _punching_ it as if rock would bend beneath his fist. Well, Gokudera had to hand it to the guy; he was brave. Probably stupid, but also brave.

The problem was the golem wasn’t the only opponent. It was definitely the immediate threat, but a cloaked figure lurked just beyond it, a red mask covering his face better than the black hood. Ascian. Whatever ploy the bastard had going on, Gokudera needed to stop it. Which meant taking out the masked figure as well as the golem. Saving Sultana was also the number one priority, with the brave adventurer that couldn’t being a good idea, though not essential. “Tch.” Sprinting towards the path along the cliff face—it was way too far down to jump and Gokudera preferred midrange explosives over his guns—the scout watched the fight closely during his descent.

*

“Ow!” Tsuna whimpered, bringing his hand back. With the pain, he felt his resolve fade slightly. Why did he think punching a moving rock would work any better than the stationary ones he’d abandoned earlier? He wasn’t the Pugilist Guild master! He wasn’t even a rookie! But still, he couldn’t leave the poor girl to be victim to the golem.

Okay, plan… plan c or whatever. Tsuna thanked Hydaelyn that the target of the monster was a lalafel. Naturally small, she was easy to pick up and carry as he ran away from the golem. Surprisingly, in his arms the pink haired woman didn’t seem nearly as frightened as he was. There was definitely fear, but it seemed closer to panic than anything. As if facing death was something she simply did every day. That being said, she did seem a bit relieved at his interference, smilingly shyly and providing a ‘thank you’ in the form of a nod as they hurried down the ravine.

The sound of stone against stone and the cracking of the earth coupled with splashing water halted Tsuna’s sprint as he looked up from his burden and into the face of _another_ golem. Oh no. Oh no, oh no, oh no. Instinctively, Tsuna dropped to a crouch body covering the girl in his arms and one hand thrust out futilely towards the new creature. _Please, please, please, Hydaelyn._ Tsuna begged more than prayed. _At least let her live._

Tsuna clenched his fist tightly, the fear returning. Not for his life. He’d never amounted for much. Oh, he didn’t want to die either, but if his life could be used to save an innocent’s, the trade wouldn’t be the worst deal in the world. He could _not_ let this girl die.

With that thought, Tsuna felt energy gather around him. As if draining the very life from the sky, his hand started to warm up. The one still wrapped around his charge tightened, his whole body instinctively bracing itself as the energy was released. Fire burst forth from his outstretched hand, the heat and smell striking him instead of the sight, as he was still turned away. There was more than fire in the attack, though. Force followed, an energy that was more an explosion than a flame. 

Lifting his head to see the result, Tsuna relaxed his guard ever so slightly. The golem was broken in half, the lower body still standing but only for so long as it’s upper half had been blown completely away, into smaller pieces than Ryohei’s dummy. It was gone; they were safe.

Explosions, the more mundane kind, and gun fire startled Tsuna back into a curled up pose. It was followed by “You idiot! Don’t forget the target behind you!” which, really, didn’t make Tsuna feel any better. Still, he rotated slowly to see the first clay golem in shambles, bits broken off from explosions and bullets piercing other scattered parts. Following its brother, the rock monster toppled down, the magic that held it together dispersing and leaving its slayer to be revealed.

A miqo’te with silver hair, pulled back into a rattail to expose a strange tattoo on his neck, had a grumpy expression on his face, pinned back cat ears, and a gun on his shoulder. He was dressed for much colder weather, in a white jacket and strapped with bullet cartridges and dynamite. A small turret floated beside him as well, the sound of whirring fading as its mini gun powered down. When their eyes met, Tsuna could see the moment the green eyes of the newcomer changed from disapproval to fascination. “Who taught you black magic?”

“Honestly, that’s the first spell I’ve ever casted,” Tsuna replied quietly. Was that magic he’d just used? “And it was mostly on accident.”

“Huh,” the gun man stated, glancing over his shoulder as if searching for something. Tsuna didn’t see anything behind the gunner except a few spriggan, the black rabbits picking up pieces of clay golem to claim as their own treasure. Facing Tsuna again, the miqo’te shrugged. “Well, your secret’s safe with me. Sultana?”

The girl in his arms gently climbed out before offering a bow to her two saviors. Her smile was sweet and gentle, the brilliance reflected in her eyes. “Certainly. I won’t scorn the men who saved my life. You have my thanks.”

“Um… thanks? You’re welcome?” Tsuna bashfully rubbed the back of his head.

“Well, the Ascian bastard escaped. I’m going to escort the Sultana back, but you should check out the thaumaturge's guild if you haven’t yet. Keep this incident quiet but, if you have that much power without training, you should definitely get some basics down before you blow up a mountain.”

Tsuna nodded mutely as the young lalafel—did he say she was the _Sultana_?—stood beside the other man. He wasn’t entirely sure what he’d done was magic much less black magic, which was forbidden if Tsuna recalled correctly. However, if he could learn to use it, it could definitely help him survive. Hopefully, he wouldn’t have to use such power again.

“I’m Gokudera, by the way. A Scion.”

“I’m Tsuna.” What on earth was a scion?

Gokudera confirmed his name with a quick bob of the head before turning to guide the Sultana back. “Stay safe on your way back. I’ll see you later, Tsuna.”

That was clearly more of a fact than a simple farewell. Something about the way Gokudera kept studying him made Tsuna realize he’d just caught the interest of this “scion”, for better or worse. Well, either way, Tsuna managed to survive and save the Sultana-- _By the Twelve, that was the Sultana of Ul’dah_ \--without too much damage. Scooping up a fragment of the golem, he figured it was about time to bring back a trophy from the “rock” he destroyed. Surely it counted.


End file.
